You must be very careful about what ads you respond to and what information you give, as there are ads that are designed, rather than to locate renters, to steal your money and possibly even your identity. According to an FBI agent, identity theft is increasing and is at its highest point ever.
You should be on the lookout for ads that tout a rental amount that seems to be too low for the area and/or particular rental property. The ads will probably advise you to act right away as the property is likely to go quickly.
An up-front deposit to hold the home is usually requested, possibly along with a copy of a current credit report. Should you actually send money, you will never again hear from your potential landlord. They may even provide a link where you can print out your credit report. This will allow them to obtain enough of your information to be able to steal your identity.
Identity theft is difficult to prosecute as it is just as easy to steal someone's identity from another country as it is to steal it from the same town. In fact, I ran across an ad for a very attractive and well-priced rental in the North County area of San Diego that asked for money in exchange for a key to the property. I suspected that this ad was a scam, notified Craigslist, and the ad was removed. The origin of the ad was Nigeria.
To avoid victimization, drive by the offered property if possible. And, you can check the web site for the County Assessor's Office to see if the name of the property owner is the same as that of the person who is offering to rent it to you. If the ad lists a Property Management Company as being in charge of renting the home, a phone number along with their Real Estate License number should be listed so that they can be checked out.
If it sounds too good to be true, it's probably a scam.
Search La Jolla Homes
Search La Jolla Condos
